The Cheltenham Synagogue is a synagogue in Cheltenham

Cheltenham

Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...

 noted for its Regency architecture

Regency architecture

The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...

. It is an independent congregation located in the town centre on Synagogue Lane, off St James's Square.

Nikolaus Pevsner

Nikolaus Pevsner

Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...

 judges that the Cheltenham Synagogue is one of the architecturally "best" non-Anglican ecclesiastical buildings in Britain.

History

The congregation first met in about 1820 in a hired space at the St. George's Place entrance to Manchester Walk. The cornerstone for the synagogue was laid on 25 July 1837. Founded when Cheltenham was a popular spa town, the synagogue declined with the town itself and it was closed in 1903. It reopened in 1939 to serve evacuees being housed in London, refugees form Nazi-occupied Europe and soldiers stationed in nearby bases, including a number of Americans.

Architecture

The elegant Regency building was designed by architect William Hill Knight (1837-9) who also designed the Cheltenham Public Library, now the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum.

The synagogue's chaste, Regency facade features Doric

Doric

Doric may refer to:* Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode* Doric dialect...

 pilasters and a pediment

Pediment

A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...

. The interior features a coffered saucer dome - a typically Regency feature. At the centre of the dome a lantern made by Nicholas Adam provides natural light. The Georgian Torah Ark and Bimah

Bimah

A bimah A bimah A bimah (among Ashkenazim, derived from Hebrew בּמה , almemar (from Arabic al-minbar) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve the place where the person reading aloud from the Torah stands during the Torah reading...

 are reused elements of the London New Synagogue of 1761: that congregation was in the process of building a new building in Great St. Helen's designed by John Davies and dedicated in 1838. The cost of wagon freight form London was £86.

A number of unusual elements of the original furnishings survive. Among these are the original rattan upholstery of the pews and bimah seats, and the prayer boards. One has the Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur

Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...

 prayers and the other has the prayer for the welfare of Queen Victoria. Victoria's name is superimposed over the names of previous British monarchs, the earliest of which is George II

George II of Great Britain

George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...

.

The synagogue is a Grade II* listed building.

External links

• Synagogue website
• Cheltenham Hebrew Congregation on Jewish Communities and Records - UK (hosted by jewishgen.org).